Brant, Branta bernicla

This is a "black Brant," the nigricans subspecies of these
small geese, which nest in the Arctic, migrate along the Pacific Coast,
and mostly winter in Mexico after one of the longest migrations of any
waterfowl. Brant are powerful flyers, and achieve wind-aided flight
speeds in Fall migration of up to 60 mph.

This picture shows the black breast and dark brown central
belly with white flanks of the black Brant; compare the lighter bellies
of the eastern subspecies, shown at the bottom of the
page.

White tips on wing feathers (secondaries and wing-coverts)
mark this
as a first-winter black Brant. The juvenal wing plumage is retained
through
the first winter; see first-winter Brant in flight
just below.

The seven Brant showing white bars on the wings are
first-winter birds; the two with solid
dark upperpart plumage are
probably adults.

An adult black Brant with worn plumage, in March.

These Brant, photographed in June on the shore of Long
Island Sound, show
lighter and barred underparts, and an incomplete and less prominent
necklace,
both characteristics distinguishing the Atlantic subspecies hrota from the Pacific nigricans.